Shape-stabilized orange peel/myristic acid phase change materials for efficient thermal energy storage application

An environmentally techno, reasonably viable waste utilization is vital for the sustainability of human civilization. In view of that, orange peel (OP) has been considered for this study to utilize as organic waste materials for thermal energy storage application. OP has been pyrolyzed into porous biochar and has been used for the shape stabilization of myristic acid (MA) as phase change materials (PCMs). MA has been loaded in different content inside orange peel biochar and thermal stability and performance of the synthesized PCMs (MAOP samples) have been studied for their suitable applications. Biochar to MA ratio at 1:4 has been found to be optimum for the maximum accommodation of the MA in biochar pores. The highest encapsulation ratio and efficiency have been found 39.60% and 39.13%, respectively whereas the maximum heat storage capability has been found to be 67.2 J/g. Excellent performance against leakage during phase transition and congruent thermal cycle stability have been manifested by all MAOP samples. The superior properties demonstrated by the MAOP samples are attributed to the capillary action, strong surface tension, and space confinement effects offered by the porous structures and the surface functionalities of the biochar.